Inclusion Model

Inclusion is the act of placing students with disabilities into the general education classroom. Students are given the tools, time, and resources necessary to actively participate in all aspects of the general education classroom. Inclusion is not just adding a student with disabilities into the classroom, but genuinely including them as valued members of the classroom. Inclusion is not an easy system to put into practice because it requires a great deal of teamwork and cooperation between teachers, administrators, and parents. Positive Inclusion programs closely supervise the social and academic progress to ensure the students are thriving. When inclusion is done correctly, the teacher finds a way to meet the student’s needs in a way that is natural and unobtrusive. The resources and supports in an inclusion classroom benefit all students, not just the students with disabilities.

Students with special needs need deserve the same education general education students are presented with. The philosophy of “ Disability Inclusion” concentrates on creating a safe, loving, and effective learning environment for students who suffer from physical, learning, and behavioral disabilities. When a student with disabilities is placed in the same environment as a non-disabled student, the results show wonderful improvement. When we are able to discover the strength of the student we are able to see just how much the student can improve in an inclusion classroom. Disability Inclusion not only sets a new beginning for an equal education of special education students, but it allows for more interaction with the child, and a more hands-on assessment.

Students with disabilities have altered the environments of the classrooms dramatically overtime. Throughout the struggle of inclusion, the views on students with disabilities, and the way students and their families are treated in the classroom teachers have found a way to overcome these obstacles and attempt the perfect classroom setting for disabled children.

For the majority of educational history, students with disabilities are placed in segregated classrooms in order to protect them. However, recent controversy details the existence of increased negative impacts on classroom segregation. The importance of classroom inclusion falls under three main categories: mutual acceptance and equal treatment of students with disabilities in society, increased personality development in disabled students, and quicker development of crucial skills (Soponaru, Camelia, et al. 1). Overall, integrated classrooms appear to be effective, but many regular education teachers lack the qualifications to properly instruct integrated classrooms. Even though some regular education teachers are qualified to teach integrated classrooms, regular education teachers with integrated classrooms need to be more thoroughly educated about special needs to ensure an optimal learning environment for all students.

Even though the Least Restrictive Environment has been used for a long time around the world, disabled students are still not considered the same as nondisabled students. This leads to the essential question: Is enough being done for disabled students to be accepted by nondisabled students? On one side of the debate, critics will argue that nondisabled students are welcoming to disabled students, and make them feel like they are equal. However, some nondisabled students still do not know how to interact with disabled students, or they may just believe they are better without getting to know the disabled student. It is extremely important for people to realize that not enough is being done for disabled kids to be accepted by nondisabled kids because nondisabled children are not around disabled children enough to know how to interact with them, disabled children may not feel comfortable in the world around them, and disabled and nondisabled children still do not feel comfortable talking to each other because they are not around each other

As for the academic outcomes of the learning disabled students placed in an inclusion environment, it was clear from data that these students’ academic outcomes were higher than the students that were in the pullout program. The theory that segregating learning disabled students is old and outdated. The authors question if students can be academically successful in an inclusion program, how can anyone justify separate special education

Over (for) the past decade Inclusion in special education has been a controversial topic among administration, teachers, and parents. Inclusion represents the belief that students with disabilities should be integrated into the general education classroom whether or not they cannot meet traditional curriculum standards. The purpose of the study is to examine the potential advantages and disadvantages of inclusion of students with disabilities into the general education classroom. The hypothesis is that students with disabilities can benefit from inclusion. The implications is that those who favor inclusion believe that disabled students in the regular classroom will be more accepted by their peers, (develop new friendships)have balanced relationships, and gain more academic knowledge through small group and teacher instruction. This in turn, will result in continued higher achievement. The survey consisted of demographic information, 26 Likert scale items and one comment section. The surveys were disturbed to staff members, including special education and general education teachers in one elementary school. Results of the survey were tabulated with frequencies and percentages for each response reported.

Inclusive teaching has many advantages that benefit students with disability such as challenging the students to come out of their comfort zone to grow full potential. However, not all parents of students with disabilities support the approach. In order to get most out of the inclusion, more work needs to be

True inclusion is when teachers abandon the belief that disability is immune to learning (Sokal & Katz, 2015) and students are arranged or grouped not based on abilities, but common goals and groupings are “voluntary and offered as choices to all students who need support” (Moore, 2016, p. 28). Inclusion “is a journey, not a destination” (Moore, 2016, p. 28-29). Sometimes as teachers, even Special Ed teachers, we can be ignorant and underestimate the student, failing to see the child communicating to us. Oftentimes, we assume students do not or cannot understand and we lecture to them like they are not there. We believe the they cannot see, hear, or communicate, but that is a misconception. We must have the simple belief that

For years children with special needs were ushered off to separate classes and schools. Children with special needs have the right to attend classes with their same aged peers in the same classroom with support. Students with special needs deserve the same opportunities they would have if circumstances were different. Inclusion gives those students with special needs the chance to be part of the community; able to form relationships outside of the family unit. All students benefit from inclusion; students with disabilities develop social skills and develop friendships while non-disabled students learn tolerance and acceptance.

Research shows classrooms are becoming more inclusive and that including these students in general education classrooms increases student achievement, self-confidence, and self-esteem, as well as physical health maintenance and improved perception of their image by peers. (Rosenzweig, 2009, p. 7) Despite this, studies indicate that teachers and staff are expected to accommodate students with disabilities although training and staff development exercises are inadequate when compared to teachers and faculty in special education departments. (Rosenzweig, 2009, p. 5) To combat this issue and ensure inclusivity, general teachers need additional support, education, training, and experience. School systems must accommodate these changes in the general education of our nation’s instructors on every level for students to reap the full benefits of inclusivity in educational settings. To help address this issue, numerous organizations supply resources to families, students, facilities, and the public in efforts to thwart the stigma associated with students with disabilities.

Over the past twenty years, there has been a strong movement within schools around the United States to integrate students with disabilities in to general education classrooms. Schools have been making more efforts to increase educational opportunities for students with disabilities, and while there are many benefits to inclusion, there are also many challenges. Inclusion of special education students in a regular education classroom continues to be the center of debate amongst administrators and teachers. Everyone has their own ideas and attitudes towards inclusion, and research studies have revealed that there are many things that contribute to those positive or negative attitudes.

Few topics have as much controversy as inclusion of children with special needs in regular classrooms. Few professionals question the appropriateness of inclusion of students with disabilities in regular classes. However, significant debate about which students should form part of the general education classes and the time they should spend in those classes persists. This has led to two groups, one for, and the other against inclusion. There are those who think that all students belong to regular education. This group claims that all students have a right to attend school with their peers and this can only occur within a single system where all students form the learning community. Secondly, the group claims that all students can benefit from education through supportive learning in inclusive settings. Third, they cite stigma as unfavorable to the children’s welfare. Lastly, they observe that the approaches used in special classes do not significantly differ from those used in regular classes (Zwaagstra et al. 13). Conversely, the other group believes that only students who meet certain standards should be included in regular classes. The group supports inclusion only under unique conditions. This group observes in regular classrooms instructors cannot offer some of the services that students with disabilities need. Additionally, they claim that instructors in regular classrooms may lack the

A lot of people do not agree with inclusion in classrooms. They say, “the disabled student might be disruptive” or “the other students might get upset when the teacher has to slow down for the disabled student.” All students have their right to an education, whether it be inclusive or not. If a student is disruptive, the teacher should be able to handle it. Although people think inclusion has many disadvantages, there are far more advantages and benefits for all students, teachers, families and even for communities. Since everyone can benefit from inclusion,  we as society should make schools and communities inclusive.

The U.S Department of Education’s 27th annual report to Congress on the implementation of The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (2005) indicates that the number of students with disabilities in general education classrooms has risen to almost 50 percent. This is about a 17 percent increase from the 1997 U.S Department of Education’s 19th annual report (U.S Department of Education, 2011). Schools have been making more efforts to increase educational opportunities for students with disabilities, and while there are many benefits to inclusion, there are also many challenges. Inclusion of special education students in a regular education classroom continues to be the center of debate amongst administrators and teachers. Everyone has their own ideas and attitudes towards inclusion, and research studies have revealed that there are many things that contribute to those positive or negative attitudes.